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D. L. BROWN.

I GAR STARTER. No. 373,437. Patented Nov. 22, 1887.

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UNITED STAT PATENT OFFICE.

DEiVALDEN L. BROWN, OF FRANKLIN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO \VILLIAM D. HUNTOON, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR- 'STARTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,437, dated November 2.2, 1887.

Application filed April 11, 1887.

T0 aZ; whom it may concern.-

l3e it known that I, DEWALDEN L. BROWN, acit zen of the United States,residing at Frank- 1m, in the county of Norfolk and State of Mas sachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Starters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and toletters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to car-starters, so

called, particularly that class which are provided with a ratchet or toothed wheel affixed upon the axle of a car, said ratchet to be operated by a pawl in connection with the draft mechanism employed, and by means of which an increased leverage is exerted upon the running-gear to overcome the inertia of the car when in the act of starting. My improvements relate to and are embodled in the construction and in the manner of mounting and operating the pawl, which, in the present instance, is not attached to the axle of the car, but is located independently thereof and within a hollow bracket or hanger bolted beneath the body of the car.

The drawing hereto annexed represents a sideelevation of a carstarter which embodies my invention,with one side of the bracket removed to show more clearly the location and relation of the pawl to the several cooperating parts which constitute the apparatus as an entirety.

In said drawing, A represents one of the longitudinal fioorstringers of a car provided with the usual runninggear, of which but one axle, B, and wheel C are here shown. Midway of the axle, and preferably in line with the pole or draft mechanism, I have disposed a toothed or ratchet wheel, D, which is affixed to and rotates in unison therewith. This wheel pro jects within and is partially inclosed by a hol- Serial No. 234,535. No model.)

WVithin the chamber thus formed is located an oscillating gravity-pawl, G, an inverted V in shape, one foot of which is provided with the catch a, adapted to engage the teeth of the pawl, while the opposite but corresponding one, D, impinges upon a short horizontal pin, c,which is secured in and extends through the walls of the pieces F, comprising the hanger. The upper extremity, d, of this pawl is pivotally united with the rod 6, which connects it with the draft mechanism.

To compel the pawl to properly perform its functions when actuated by a forward pull upon the rod 6 or cessation of such pull, I have arched or concaved the lower part of the perimeter of said pawl between the catch a and the foot I). This curved surfaces contacts with the pin 0, before alluded to. Centrally of and a short distance from the concave boundingedge 8 of the pawl is formed a slot, f, of about the same curvature as said edge, concentric therewith, and which is adapted to receive a second horizontal pin, g, also affixed in the walls F of the hanger. These two pins 0 9 cooperate, respectively, with the concave edge s and slotf, and control and direct the movements of the pawl, which not only oscillates, but reciprocates bodily upon the said pins during the rotation of the ratchet in the act of starting a car.

Since the pawl is actuated by gravity to re turn to its position, as shown, the catch a will normally contact with some one of the teeth of the wheel D; hence when a pull is exerted upon the upper end of the pawl pressure is at once brought upon the foot b, which now advances, wiping upon the pin 0, with which it is in contact. Simultaneously therewith the pin 9 is free to move in the slotf as the pawl advances and compels the catch a from being disengaged from the ratchet-wheel; This oscillation and forward travel of the pawl G bodily continues,while at the same time the wheel and axle are forced to rotate. and thereby overcome the inertia of the car-body until the foot b of the pawl has reached the wall of the hanger, when its forward movementis checked, and it is now compelled to follow the contourof said hanger, here curved at h downwardly. The effect of this is to rock the pawl upon the pin 0 as a pivot, the slotf having sufficient width to allow upward movement of the catch a to fully disengage it from the teeth of the ratchetqvheel. The pawl is now free, upon cessation of the pull, to drop back to its nor-' mal position, as shown. When in this position it serves as a brake, since the catch a is in engagement with a tooth, while the pin 9, located in the extremity of the slot f, prevents reverse or backward motion of the wheel and car.

In the event of backing the car the pawl must be held disengaged, or in its forward and inoperative-position, until such result is accomplished.

I claim-- l 1. In car starting mechanism, the combination, with a rotary axle provided with a toothed wheel afiixed thereon, of an oscillating pawl adapted to reciprocate upon two pins transversely located within a hanger, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the chambered .hanger and its pins, the oscillating looselymounted pawl which reeiprocates upon said pins, its catch a, and the rotary toothed wheel, all operating as herein set forth.

'3. The rotary shaft l3, toothed wheel D, and chambered hanger E,with its pins 0 g, in combination with the operating-rod e and oscillating pawl G, concaved at s, and with the slotf' 30 Witnesses:

H. E. LODGE, E. M. CHASE. 

